Bic 4 Colours Grip Vs Classic

Bic 4 colours Grip & Classic

I was recently reminded of my love for the Bic 4 Colours pen via a link to this advert which had me chuckling to myself for quite some time. I realised it was time to dig out my Bic 4 colours and show it some appreciation, and just to make things a little more interesting I went and bought the Grip version to see how they compare.
Both pens are made of plastic, with the Grip version having a rubber grip and being the more attractive of the two. The Grip pen has a see-through blue window in the middle and one at the tip so you can see the refills going to work as you slide your colour of choice into action.

Which is prettiest? I think the Grip 4 Colours

The Grip version is slightly heavier and slightly thicker than the classic 4 Colour. I quickly realised that those slight differences made a massive difference to how they feel in the hand. The Grip pen felt absolutely huge whilst writing. It's just that little bit too bulky for my liking. The non grip version is still thicker than your average ballpoint, which of course it has to be, it's carrying 4 refills, but it didn't feel like it was taking over. The Grip version felt a little overpowering and my hand did start to ache after a while.

I found the most comfortable way to hold the classic version without any slipping was to hold it just above  where it starts to curve in towards the tip. Despite not having a grip, it was more comfortable to hold for longer periods of time than the Grip pen.

Ink is put to the test

Some store own brand multi-colour pens have disappointed me in the past, with wobbly, unstable tips that are unpleasant to write with. The Bic 4 colours put those pens to shame. There is no unwanted movement from the tip whatsoever when I'm writing.
The pens both have a 1.0 mm point size which actually feel nicer on paper than I remembered from my school days. For a ballpoint, and considering I'm testing out 8 refills in one go here, they are pretty amazing. They feel smooth to write with, there is no skipping, no horrible blobs, and I haven't had a single false start or reason to get cross with my Bic pens. Each colour on each pen has behaved impeccably. A***

Clip and chewable lanyard hook

I can't say I'm particularly keen on the clip design. When I clip the pens to my notebooks or my pocket they stick out too far as the functional part of the clip doesn't reach the top of the pen. At least I have the lanyard hook to fall back on, although I can't seem to fight the urge to chew on it. I'm not usually a pen chewer so I'm working hard to break my new habit before it becomes an issue.

Refillable

The Bic 4 Colours are refillable and what I love is that you can buy the colours you need individually. I have a thing for the green so there will be no need to despair when it reaches the end of its life. I won't have to buy a whole new pen or a set of four refills. The Bic 4 colours is also available with a 0.7mm point which comes in an orange barrel.

The Bic 4 Colours Fashion comes with pink, purple, turquoise and green ink.
If you want a more glitzy pen you could go for the Bic 4 colours Shine. For those who don't want their pens screaming out with colour, you could go for a black or grey barrel. Or how about a Hello Kitty 4 Colours pen? You can even get a Bic 4 colours desk pen, the type of thing you find in a bank, with a chain, but all the colours are either blue or black. Bic have made a version of this pen for absolutely everyone.

Both of my Bic pens performed fantastically on paper. However, the classic version, without the grip remains my favourite, purely because it is the most comfortable to hold. If the Grip version was the same width as the Classic it would change everything. 

The Bic 4 Colours pens take me back to my childhood. They were the perfect school accessory as all the colours we needed were right there at the slide of a button. It doesn't surprise me one bit that they remain just as relevant today as they were then.

Here's one more Bic 4 Colours advert that I love.

Bic For Her Medium Ballpoint

Bic For Her

This is the Bic For Her ballpoint pen which I purchased quite a while ago now. The pen is plastic with a gorgeous rubber grip and a metal clip. It's retractable with a pink clicky button. This is one of the prettiest Bic pens I've used. Bic have really pushed the boat out where detail is concerned.

Pattern on tip adds extra grip

The beautiful swirly pattern runs all the way from the tip of the pen, through the rubber grip and up the barrel.
The pen is slightly thicker than your average ballpoint and together with the comfortable grip and it's light weight, it feels great to hold. I do find that my fingers end up half on the grip and half on the tip as it's how I feel most in control, but it's not an issue. The slightly raised detail on the tip gives me enough extra grip to prevent any slipping. So it's not just a pretty face. The pen writes very smoothly. As I've said before, I don't like it when a pen is so smooth that it feels slippery on the paper and this Bic pen has got the balance just right.

Close up -  highlights flaws that would probably have gone un noticed

The Bic For Her uses oil based ink. If you click on the image above to enlarge it you will be able to see that I'm not getting consistent ink flow. It's not skipping completely but its definitely having a little trouble keeping up. It's not even noticeable unless you look really closely so I wouldn't really say its a big deal. There is no blobbing or gloopiness. I'm getting a nice clean line.

Good strong clip

The clip is strong and reliable. I always have a pen with me, whether attached to my clothing or in my bag so a clip I can trust is important. Otherwise the pen has to stay home.

refills available

Refills for the Bic For Her are available to buy. To refill you simply unscrew at the tip and replace. Make sure you keep the spring as refills often come without them.

Overall, I'd say I'm pleased with my purchase. The pen writes well, its comfortable, it's cute. Whenever the need for a pen arises, I wouldn't hesitate to pick up my Bic For Her.

You may be aware that this pen has caused quite a stir, the "For Her" title being the reason. There were many very funny reviews posted online poking fun of this pen, some took a sarcastic approach and some were in my opinion way over the top. I can't even be bothered to jump onto that bandwagon as I really couldn't care less. I'm interested in the pen. How does it write? How does it feel? How does it look? I'm certainly not offended and if I was, I would simply choose not to buy it. One thing I will say is this, at least Bic can say they got people talking about their pens!